Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-04
CHAPTER V.

raise beSSleS Spirits, winch were Already SUI
hciently low.
CHAPTER v.
DREAMS AND FooLIsHNEss.
When John Mel left Bessie on the veranda
at the approach of Frank Muller he had
taken his gun, and, having whistled to the
pointer dog Pontiac, mounted bis shooting
pony and started out in quest OF partridges.
On the warm slopes of the hills round Walk
kerstroom large species of partridge is very
abundant, especially i'll the patches of red
grass in which they arc sometimes clothed.
1t is merry sound to hear these paltrilges
calling from all directions just after day
break, and one to make the heart OF every
true sportsman rejoice exceedingly. On leav-
ing the house John proceeded up the side OF
the hill behind this pony picking its way
carefully between the stones. and the dog
Pontiac ranging about 200 or 300 yards off, for
In this sort of country it is necessary to have
dog with wide range. Presently John
saw him stop under mimosa thorn and sud-
denly stiffen out as If he had been petrified,
and made the best Of his way toward him.
Pontiac stood still for few seconds, and then
slowly and deliberately veered his head
round, as though it worked on a hinge, to see
if his master were coming. John knew his
ways. Three times would that remarkable
old dog look round thus, and if the gun had
not then arrived he would to certainty run
in and flush the birds This was a rule that
he never broke, for his patience had fixed
limit. On this occasion, however, John
arrived before it was reached, and, jumping
off his pony, cooked his gun and marched
slowly up, full Of happy expectation. On
drew the dog, his eye cold and fixed, saliva
dropping from his mouth, and bis head and
face, OIL which was frozen an extraordinary
expression Of instructive ferocity, outstretched
To their utmost limit
He was right under the mimosa thorn now
and up to his belly in warm, red grass.
Where could the birds be9 Whirr! and a
great feathered shell seemed to have burst at
his very feet. What covey! twelve brace
if there was bird, and they had all been
lying beak to beak i'll space no bigger than
scartwheer Up weiit Johns gun and off
too, little sooner than it should have done.
"Missed him clean! Now then for the left
barrel" Same result. There, we will draw
q veil over the profanity that ensued A
minute later and it was all over, and John
and Pontiac were regarding each other with
contempt and disgust.
ut was all you, you BRUTE" said John to
Pontiac II thought you were going to run
in, and you hurried me-"
"Ugh!" said Pontiac to John, or, ut least,
he looked it. @Ugh! you disgusting bad shot.
What is the good Of pointing for youa It's
enough to make dog sick"
The covey-or rather the collection of old
birds, for this kind of partridge sometimes
"packs" just before the breeding season-had
scattered all about the place; and it was not
long before Pontiac found some Of them; and
this time John got one bird-and beautiful
great partridge he was, too, with yellow legs
and missed another. Again Pontiac pointed,
and brace rose. Bang! down goes one;
bang with the other barrel. Caught him, by
Jove, just as lie topped the stone. Hullo!
Pontiac is still on the point. Slip in two more
cartridges Oh, leash this time! bang!
bang! and down came Il brace of them-two
brace of partridge without moving yard.
Life has joys for all men, but it has, l verify
believe, no joy to compare to the joy Of the
moderate shot and earnest sportsman when
he has just killed half dozen driven par
tridges without miss, or ten rocketing
pheasants with eleven cartridges, or, better
still, couple of woodcock right and left.
By this time he was right across the mount
ain top and on the brink Of the most remark
able chasul he had ever seen. The place was
Dutch, because three lions had once been
penned up by party Of Beers and shot there.
The chasm or gorge was between a quarter
and half mile long, about COZ feet in width
and $50 to $50 feet deep About 100 PAGES
from Che near end Of the gorge, some ninety
Or more feet in height, stood the most remark
able of these mighty pillars, to which the re-
mains ut Stonehenge are but toys. 1t was
formed Of seven huge powders, the largest,
that at the bottom, about the size OF u moder-
ute cottage, and the smallest, that ut the top,
perhaps some eight or ten feet in diameter.
These powders were rounded like cricket
evidently through the action.of water
and yet the hand of nature had contrived to
balance them, each one smaller than thut be-
meath, the one upon the other, and to keep
them so. But this was not always the case.
For instance, u very similar mass that had
risen OIL the near side Of the perfect pillar had
fallen, all except the two bottom stones,
and tho powders that went to form it lay
scattered about like nlonstrous petrifed cam
non balls. One of these had split III two, and
seated OH it John discovered none other than
looking very small ana far OF at the bottom
of that vast chasnl.
John got off his shooting pony, and looking
about him perceived that it was possible to
descend by following the course Of tue stream
and clambering down the natural steps it had
cut in the rocky bed. Throwing the reins
over the pony's head, and leaving him with
the dog Pontiac to stand and look about him
as South African shooting poiies are ac-
customed to do, he put down his gun and
game and proceeded to descend. AS he drew
lear the bottom of the gorge ho saw that near
the borders OF the stream, wherever the soil
was moist, grew thousands upon thousands Of
white arum lilies, pig lilies" they call them
there just now in full bloom. He had noticed
these lilies from above, but there they had,
owing to the distance, looked so small that he
had taken them for everlastings or unemones.
He could not see jess now, for she was hidden
by bush that grows by the banks of the
streams in South Africa in low lying land
and which at certain seasons Of the year is
literally covered with masses of the most
gorgeous scarlet bloom His footsteps fell
very softly on the moss and flowers, and when
he got round the glorious looking bush it was
evident that She had not heard him, for she
was asleep. Her hat was off, but the bush
shaded her, and her head hud fallen forward
over her sketching block and rested OH her
hand. A ray Of light that came through the
bush played upon her curling brown hair and
threw warm shadows OIL her white face and
the white wrist and hand OIL which it rested.
John stood opposite to her and looked at
her, und the old curiosity to understand this
feminine enigma took possession of him.
Many man before him has been tho victim
of like desire, and lived to regret that he
did not leave it ungratifed. 1t is not well to
try to lift the curtain of the unseen; it is not
well to call to heaven to show its glory, or to
hell to give US touch and knowledge of its
yawning fires knowledge comes soon
enough; many of us will say that
knowledge has come too soon, and left
us desolate. There is no bitterness like